Weekly Car Guide: Dec. 16, 2005

 

TCC Drives: 2006  Pontiac Torrent

Who doesn't know the Pontiac Aztek? It's the unforgettable, odd-looking model that Pontiac introduced in 2000. Although it seems to have found a cult following, with its little pop-out tent and armory of body cladding (later pared down), GM has now quietly taken it out of production, in favor of a much more conventional-looking crossover SUV, and the division is probably hoping that torrents of buyers will be storming the dealerships for it.

The Torrent is based on the Saturn Vue crossover that was first introduced for 2002. The Chevrolet Equinox went on sale last year, for '05, and now Pontiac gets a version for '06. That's why the Torrent's shape probably looks a little familiar, even in pictures, with the prominent hood crease and rear pillar, and the same big, flared wheel wells.

While the Saturn Vue is made in Tennessee, the Torrent is assembled at the GM-Suzuki CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont. - the same plant that already makes the Chevrolet Equinox. There'll be another sibling cranked out of that same factory - for Suzuki - that will come online sometime next year.

While the Torrent doesn't pose as a luxury vehicle, as a Pontiac it's supposed to offer a little more sport appeal, which GM does by adding Pontiac identifiers like the three-spoke steering wheel, a flashier alloy wheel design, prominent fog lamps, and a standard FE2 Sport Suspension.

Though marketing folks would want you to see it otherwise, the Equinox is virtually identical, and the Vue is a close sibling, though each boasts slightly different front and rear exterior treatments and slightly different interior appointments. Along with the Chevrolet Equinox, the Torrent is available only with a Chinese-built 3.4-liter GM V-6, while the Saturn Vue offers either a 2.2-liter four-cylinder or an Ohio-built Honda 3.5-liter V-6.

2006 Pontiac Torrent (12/16/2005)
GM's sporty division gets a nice people mover but fails to build excitement.

Get more reviews:
Hybrids/Electrics
Luxury Cars
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TCC's 2006 Buyer's Guide

Pontiac's Solstice. The HUMMER H3. A new Porsche Cayman, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and every hybrid vehicle under the sun. Where can you get them all, other than a back-alley parking lot in Ensenada in no-longer-driveable form? The answer: right here. TCC's 2006 Buyer's Guide has all the latest information on the new and updated models for 2006 for all the major brands. And stay tuned for our exotic-car buyer's guide coming soon:

2006 TCC Buyer's Guide (9/28/2004)

  

News from J.D. Power and Associates

Lexus Retains Most Owners

The latest Customer Retention study from J.D. Power and Associates finds that Lexus is the brand that keeps most customers when the time comes to purchase a new vehicle. The three-year-old study found that Lexus increased its repeat-customer rate; 63 percent of its buyers choose another Lexus, against an industry average of 49.6 percent. Lexus is followed in the rankings by Toyota (62.6%), Honda (59.9%), Chevrolet (57.3%) and Hyundai (56.3%), respectively. At the bottom of the list is Suzuki, which holds on to only 28.6 percent of its customers, although the numbers improved by 38 percent this year, Power notes. The more than 177,000 consumers polled for the new survey pointed out that things gone wrong with the previous vehicle were the biggest deterrent to buying a second vehicle from the same brand, correlating to strong finishes in Power's related Dependability Study.

Source: J.D. Power Consumer Center . For product and service ratings, visit www.jdpower.com/cc

GET J.D. Power Circle ratings for new cars and trucks

 

 

THIS WEEK'S CAR NEWS

Kia "Soul" Concept for Detroit

Caught somewhere between Motown and Seoul-town is the latest Kia concept, the "Soul," due out at the Detroit auto show in January. The Soul is a crossover vehicle, Kia says, with cues that resemble its Mesa truck concept from last year's show. Details are thin, but Kia says the concept is geared toward active-lifestylers and is a compact-sized ute with reconfigurable cargo space, including a "drawer" for wet or muddy items.

2006 Detroit Auto Show Preview by TCC Team (12/12/2005)
More sheetmetal than your average showroom.

 

Four-Door Wrangler Undresses for Cameras 

With the auto show season starting up again soon, TCC's spies are catching more and more new cars and trucks off-guard. Caught undressing here is the new four-door Jeep Wrangler, with a little help from winter winds. You'll see it officially uncovered soon - the best bet now is the New York auto show - potentially with removeable roof panels to turn the Wrangler into a four-door quasi-convertible. Among the nameplates rumored for the new model? Cherokee.

 

Nissan Has Urge for Detroit

Funny, we thought they really liked Nashville? In any case, Nissan this morning released this view of its upcoming concept coupe for Detroit, the Urge. Set to make its world debut in early January 2006 at the Detroit show, the URGE Concept is a "pure, powerful sports car with motorcycle-inspired styling." Conceived around a rear-drive platform, the Urge has a small-displacement engine, a six-speed manual gearbox and an integrated Xbox 360 inside. Nissan Design America, Inc., La Jolla, Calif., penned the Detroit concept.

 

Spy Shots: '08 Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz is preparing a new C-Class, which will make its debut in the spring of 2007. It will be a completely new model offering standard RWD and AWD as an option. Code-named W204, the car will be available in four different body styles: sedan, station wagon, sports coupe, and convertible.

The new C-Class will adopt styling elements from the new S-Class that went on sale this year. Power will come again from a variety of four- and newly developed six-cylinder engines. A sporty AMG version is in the pipeline, too.

These photos show a prototype during cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle. The computer rendering suggests how the new model could look like upon its release. -Hans G. Lehmann/Hidden Image

 

 

AFA Considers New Boycott Against Ford

Following Ford Motor Co.'s ad commitment to gay media outlets on Wednesday, the American Family Association (AFA) said Thursday it is considering reinstating a boycott of Ford products.

AFA chairman Donald E. Wildmon issued a statement stating that the AFA considers Ford's move to be a violation of an agreement it had with Ford and Ford dealers. "We had an agreement with Ford, worked out in good faith. Unfortunately, some Ford Motor Company officials made the decision to violate the good faith agreement. We are now considering our response to the violation and expect to reach a decision very soon," said Wildmon. "All we wanted was for Ford to refrain from choosing sides in the cultural war, and supporting groups which promote same-sex marriage is not remaining neutral," Wildmon stated. A Ford spokesman said this week that no such agreement was struck with the AFA.

Wildmon claims that Ford agreed to pull ad support of gay media and organizations in exchange for his group canceling plans to call on its members and followers to boycott all Ford products. Ford had decided to pull Jaguar and Land Rover ads and sponsorships from gay organizations as part of a broader cost-cutting move. But Volvo, which also advertises in gay media, never changed its plans. Nevertheless, the Jag and Land Rover moves gave the AFA room to publicly claim a victory over gay advocacy groups. On Wednesday, Ford announced it would buy a corporate ad schedule in gay media so its position would be clear and unambiguous.

Ford dealers, already facing slumping sales, are not anxious for a boycott by the AFA. Garland, Texas Ford dealer Jerry Reynolds took the lead in asking Ford to meet with the AFA recently. Reynolds, who has run ads on such issues as protecting "Under God" in the pledge of allegiance, did not return a phone call at press time. But Reynolds and Wildmon conferred Thursday, according to sources. Reynolds, like many Ford dealers, are worried about losing any more sales in the Midwest and Bible Belt where Ford sales, especially truck sales, are strongest.-Jim Burt

Daily Edition: Dec. 15, 2005 by TCC Team (12/14/2005)
Nissan Urge concept, Ford reverses on gay ads, C-Class spied.

  

From TCConfidential

More to Gas Prices Than Dollars and Cents

I've been driving for 59 years and the other day I observed something I'd never seen before: red "quarantine" tags on gas pumps at a neighborhood BP station near my home in suburban Detroit.

Upon inspection, it seemed the tags were from the Michigan Dept. of Weights and Measures. The tags declared the pumps had been tested that day and found to be inaccurate. The station was given, as I recall, five days to correct the problem. A State of Michigan truck was parked in the gas station.

I drove away to a neighbor "unquarantined" station to fill for a penny more ($2.099 vs. $2.089), but the event was something new in my experience and caused me to ponder. A day or so later, I noticed that red tags still were attached to some pumps at the offending station.

The message here is to be wary of retail gas operators who cheat, either deliberately or through faulty equipment. But how can you tell if a pump is rigged to charge you for drawing off more gas than actually flowed? I don't think the motorist can, which is why states have weights-and-measures cops with measuring devices.

Of course, gas stations have their problems, too. There have been scattered reports of "driveaways" in the metropolitan area, especially when gas exceeded $3 per gallon for a period right after Katrina. If the driver of a full-sized van with 42-gallon dual-tank capacity, like the Econoline Club Wagons I used to have, drove off without paying, he'd be guilty of a felony for exceeding the customary $100 threshold.

A mirrored problem with pricey gas is siphoning theft. I once caught a bunch of kids filling their outboard boat's tank from my '55 Plymouth, and that was when gas was 25 cents a gallon, so it's all relative. A quarter-century ago, after the Iranian Revolution induced a gas crisis, there was a big movement to equip cars with locking gas caps or filler doors. The need or demand seemed to wither away in subsequent years, although many vehicles still have the feature as standard. One wonders if locking caps will make a comeback. In the short run, that's a need that aftermarket auto supply stores ought to be able to fill. -Mike Davis

More in TCConfidential

  

TCC Tip: Avoiding Animals

As urban areas continue to push outward and displace animals from their natural habitats, and as formerly empty rural lanes become plagued with traffic, collisions between cars and the animals seem an almost inevitable consequence. Car-deer collisions, the most common throughout most of the country, cost an average of $1500 in damage each, according to Michigan figures, and nationally there are thousands of injuries and more than 100 fatalities each year as the result of collisions with animals.

With those figures in mind, here are some tips on how to minimize the chances of hitting deer - and other animals - on the highway:

TCC Tip: Avoiding Animals (12/16/2005)
What to do - and what not to do - when there's a critter in the road.

More driving tips from TCC

  

ASK THE MECHANIC

Prove it!

Q--I have a 2000 Dodge Durango with a 4.7-liter V-8. Whenever I use the air conditioner, the engine speed stays too high while coasting. It is so high that when I take my foot off the gas, the truck continues on at 25-40 mph. I have taken it back to the same dealer three times and they told me there is nothing wrong. They stated that all Durangos do the same thing.

A--Has your Durango been doing this for two years, ever since you bought it? If not, how can you accept that this is normal? While it is true that the idle speed is kicked up a little when the A/C is running, it should not behave like cruise control and propel you down the road. You should try another dealer since your current one is not taking care of you. And if they say, "they all do that," make them prove it.

On-Site Mechanic: Dec. 16, 2005 (12/16/2005)
Auto service and maintenance advice from TCC's resident gearhead.

More from TCC's On-Site Mechanic, Bob Weber

  

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Kudos to Marty Padgett and Doug Flint, as well as TheCarConnection.com for giving them a forum.

Marty, you've always been one of my favorite automotive scribes, but your answer to Mr. Smithson's self-righteous diatribe may have just elevated you to hero status! I'm constantly amazed at the number of small-minded people out there from both sides of the political spectrum. Donald Wildmon and Michael Moore, along with their political agendas, are both irrelevant to the lives of most Americans. While I generally prefer to keep my politics and automotive news separate, I'm glad to see this site is not subject to the kind of censorship or political correctness to which so much of the main-stream media seem to bow. (Though I think it's hilarious that a car dealer from Utah is taking a gay man to task for being too conservative!)

As for Doug: I keep telling folks I work with (at a new car dealership in Central Pennsylvania) that all the nuts can't possibly live here; I see from Mr. Garnett's letter that Michigan have their share, too. Your column has always been the first one I read and, while there have been times I've disagreed with you, (Volkswagens and diesels aren't nearly as bad as you think...) you've always seemed to come to your conclusions from a well-reasoned perspective, based on experience rather than conjecture. (Oh, and as to what's a "man's car": I drive a VW Cabrio; does that qualify?) At any rate, thanks again to both Mr. Padgett and Mr. Flint. They exemplify the high standards that keep me coming back to TheCarConnection.com as my first stop for automotive news.

Chuck Brand

Letters to the Editor: December 2005 (12/4/2005)
Our blog explained, Michael Moore gets his due, Doug Flint is reviled and motorcycles get sprung.

Send your letters to us here at letters@thecarconnection.com. You must include a subject line to have your letter read.

  

TCC TRIVIA by Murray Jackson

1. This 1976 comedy movie followed a wacky coast-to-coast car race.
2. Carmakers keep a percentage of a dealers' invoice price and periodically credit it to the dealer's account.  What is this amount called?
3. Which UK carmaker won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race seven times between 1951 and 1990?
4. In which city were 1901 to 1953 Indian motorcycles produced?
5. Ford introduced a new, intermediate-size model in 1962.  What was it called?
6. What was unique about the styling of the 1951 Kaiser Traveler and Frazer Vagabond?
7. Where did Holiday Inn open its first highway motor hotel in 1952?
8. In what year did New York's Holland Tunnel open to vehicle traffic?
9. Which car-racing venue did World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker own from 1927 to 1945?
10. This "Grand Prix" actor drove the pace car at the 1975, 1977 and 1985 Indianapolis 500 races.

Get the answers for TCC Trivia

  

CAR-TOONS by Jerry King

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